PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – Monday is National Dog Day and the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office is celebrating with a very special member of its force.

K-9 Ranger, a bloodhound, is back at work after treatment for oral melanoma.

“Because he was only eight years old and the wound was in the affected area and was already well advanced, they thought the best option would be to get him treated,” said Deputy Jeff Belback, Ranger’s dog handler.

Ranger was sent to Virginia for special treatments, including surgery and electrochemotherapy. Now, five months after that treatment, Ranger, an invaluable employee, has returned to work.

“For rangers, each person’s smell is like their fingerprint. Everyone is a little different,” Belback said.

Ranger once found and rescued a teenager going through a mental health crisis. Another time, he tracked down an 82-year-old woman with Alzheimer’s who was lost and could have easily died if she hadn’t been found.

“I believe we were able to recover a pillowcase that she had been using. She was from out of town and had only been here recently. Luckily, we found something with her scent, showed it to rangers and ran through the woods where she was found,” Belback said.

It only took Ranger about 20 minutes to track them down, Belback said.

Ranger will need vaccinations for the rest of his life. His boss, Sheriff Kevin Kraus, says Ranger is worth it, no matter what the cost.

“What this dog has accomplished for this office is amazing,” said Kraus.